Hiring blitz fizzles

Ann Nantes (left) and Darryl Lashambe of Holiday Retirement are not discouraged by the low turnout for the company’s hiring blitz Thursday.
— Photo by Daniel MacEachern/The Telegram

Holiday Retirement held a hiring blitz — but nobody came. Actually, one couple came during the daylong recruitment session at the airport Comfort Inn in St. John’s Wednesday, to apply for manager positions with the retirement community chain, which operates more than 300 locations — 34 in Canada, but none in Newfoundland and Labrador.

But Canadian and regional recruiter Darryl Lashambe said he wasn’t discouraged by the turnout, and hopes to be back.

“This was a shorter term project that we came out here to see, but I think we’ll be back, with a little more time frame next time,” he said, noting that many of their most successful managers are from Atlantic Canada. “With that kind of success, we thought this would be a great place to draw future managers from.”

Holiday Retirement is recruiting managers for “future planning,” he said, with the company both expanding and looking to replace current managers who will be retiring soon.

Ann Nantes is a former Newfoundlander who runs a location in London, Ont., with her husband, originally from Prince Edward Island.

She chalked up the company’s success with Atlantic Canadian managers to their friendly, outgoing nature.

“I think it’s our nature to help each other, so I think it’s a natural fit,” she said. “That’s what we do: we look after our residents. So to be outgoing and reach out, that’s us.”

dmaceachern@thetelegram.com

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